Preview — Siege of Mithila
by Ashok K. Banker

The original Ramayana was written three thousand years ago. Now, with breathtaking imagination and brilliant storytelling, Ashok K. Banker has recreated this epic tale for modern readers everywhere

The bestial demon hordes roar towards Ayodhya having swept all before them. Rama cannot return home to defend his family. He must journey to Mithila—a city lying directly in theThe original Ramayana was written three thousand years ago. Now, with breathtaking imagination and brilliant storytelling, Ashok K. Banker has recreated this epic tale for modern readers everywhere

The bestial demon hordes roar towards Ayodhya having swept all before them. Rama cannot return home to defend his family. He must journey to Mithila—a city lying directly in the path of destruction—to join a small band of heroes planning a valiant stand against the armies of darkness. Can Rama unearth a hidden dev-astra to help in his battle against his nemesis, the demonlord Ravana?...more

The only possible flaw in this book is not a problem with the book itself, or the writer. The problem is that characters who are perfect are inherently boring. (My mind leaps to those movies with Jesus gazing piously into heaven, benevolently healing everyone, gently smoothing away discord among the disciples -- never frowning, never raising his voice, never doing anything INTERESTING, dammit!)

Rama, the hero of this epic, is always pious, always obedient to his guru, and fulfills the dharma of hThe only possible flaw in this book is not a problem with the book itself, or the writer. The problem is that characters who are perfect are inherently boring. (My mind leaps to those movies with Jesus gazing piously into heaven, benevolently healing everyone, gently smoothing away discord among the disciples -- never frowning, never raising his voice, never doing anything INTERESTING, dammit!)

Rama, the hero of this epic, is always pious, always obedient to his guru, and fulfills the dharma of his caste flawlessly and without hesitation, with no thought for self. He doesn't even feel the stirrings of more-than-brotherly feeling toward Sita his bride until AFTER he's won her hand.

But it's not really as bad as it sounds; Banker does a good job creating moments of questioning and decision, where Rama must test himself. Of course, most of those moments are undone when the sage Vishwamitra casually mentions, "Of course, I knew before the test began that the outcome was inevitable." Still, Rama is much more interesting in this book than he was in the first one.

I really liked the first book (Prince of Ayodhya), but enjoyed Siege of Mithila even more. There was a lot of action, and by now we know all the major players so well that we care about them a great deal. Can Third Queen Sumitra possibly get out of her predicament? Is Captain Bejoo making his last stand, riding out against the Asura army before the gates of Mithila? Did Rama, with his final act, truly do the horrible and devastating thing to his own people that it sounds like he did, and how can he possibly justify it??

I am really, really looking forward to getting my hands on Demons of Chitrakut, to find out what happens next!...more

I really enjoyed reading both the Prince of Ayodhya and the Siege of Mithila if only because I like hero-quest type books if they are well-written.

I was surprised to find that the Ramayan, which is a story that I thought I already knew, made a good base for storytelling. I'm not sure why I was so surprised, but perhaps I thought that there wasn't much left to the imagination in the Ramayan story after so many retellings and movies and TV series. Obviously, I was wrong. I devoured both books inI really enjoyed reading both the Prince of Ayodhya and the Siege of Mithila if only because I like hero-quest type books if they are well-written.

I was surprised to find that the Ramayan, which is a story that I thought I already knew, made a good base for storytelling. I'm not sure why I was so surprised, but perhaps I thought that there wasn't much left to the imagination in the Ramayan story after so many retellings and movies and TV series. Obviously, I was wrong. I devoured both books in two days and now am keeping myself hungry before I start the next in the series. Obviously the expectations have risen. Sita, hopefully has more of a role in the next book. I'll let you know. :)

And thanks to Shailja and Sridhar who recommended the series to me again...and thanks to my mother who had already bought the first two for us!...more

after reading the first book in the Ramayana series I had expected this book also to be a good one. but was quite disappointed with this book. the pace is too slow and the worst thing is that the author keeps repeating himself over and over again. for example he has described vishwamitra's physical appearance quite well in the first book itself. but in this book also he repeats that at too many places. another thing that I did not like was that the scene changes abruptly. one minute you're readiafter reading the first book in the Ramayana series I had expected this book also to be a good one. but was quite disappointed with this book. the pace is too slow and the worst thing is that the author keeps repeating himself over and over again. for example he has described vishwamitra's physical appearance quite well in the first book itself. but in this book also he repeats that at too many places. another thing that I did not like was that the scene changes abruptly. one minute you're reading about rama and lakshman in the first and the next line is a scene from the palace! the writer could've done a much better job of this book. hope the other books in the series are better!...more

There is something puerile about Banker's Ramayana. He has taken a very rich source material and thought it fit to play around with the narrative the way a child may come up with bizarre structures made from toy blocks. There's no attempt at modernizing the tale ala Amish Tripathi. On the contrary, Banker goes a step further by introducing hitherto absent elements of magic and sorcery in the epic, making it seem even more of a children's bed-time story. And was there an undercurrent of casteismThere is something puerile about Banker's Ramayana. He has taken a very rich source material and thought it fit to play around with the narrative the way a child may come up with bizarre structures made from toy blocks. There's no attempt at modernizing the tale ala Amish Tripathi. On the contrary, Banker goes a step further by introducing hitherto absent elements of magic and sorcery in the epic, making it seem even more of a children's bed-time story. And was there an undercurrent of casteism that I detected throughout this 500-0dd page tome? Very out of step of contemporary social sensitivities, if you ask me....more

The language is great! The idea of the author is also very great! But, the story seems to be twisted and very astray from the original. IF YOU REALLY LIKED THE ORIGINAL RAMAYAN, PLEASE DONT READ THIS. I was very disappointed by the fact the story potrays sita and ram very differently. Inherent characteristics are the same but, the roles the author gives to these characters didn't suit my interest.

Like many people in India, my encounter with Ramayana began with stories of Rama that my grandmother told me as a kid. While I had a rough sketch of the stories and how they went, I did not know the story in full. During my teenage years, I went towards atheism and thus refrained from reading mythology as well. Quite contrary to logical reasoning, it was my engineering education in Mumbai University that made me a theist again. I refrained from rituals, though. Recently, I have found a beauty inLike many people in India, my encounter with Ramayana began with stories of Rama that my grandmother told me as a kid. While I had a rough sketch of the stories and how they went, I did not know the story in full. During my teenage years, I went towards atheism and thus refrained from reading mythology as well. Quite contrary to logical reasoning, it was my engineering education in Mumbai University that made me a theist again. I refrained from rituals, though. Recently, I have found a beauty in these rituals as well. Not to stray from my path, I had known of Ashok Banker and his version of Ramayana since browsing the books in the then newly opened Crossword store close to home. It is only now, close to five years later, that I have found the opportunity to read the epic again.

I finished the first book of the series, the Prince of Ayodhya in three days. I did the same with its sequel, the Siege of Mithila. I had hoped to start writing a book review of all the books I read after I finished the first book, but the deadline slipped by. A busy work week did not help things. Rather than think about and revisit the first book, I thought that I should write my review of the second book onwards.

I like Ashok Banker���s writing style. It is neither simplistic nor straightforward as Rajagopalachari���s version of Ramayana nor very weighty like the several other translations of Ramayana that I have browsed through in the library. I don���t even come close to reading the Sanskrit original and after reading the series in English, I���d love to read a few written in Malayalam. The one word for it would be contemporary. The characters in the book talk like people would talk now-a-days, a nice mixture of English and Hindi. He explains some of the Hindi phraseology but misses many of them. His writing makes Rama and the various characters seem like a contemporary.

I know the storyline trudges along rather slowly. I am at the end of reading two 500 page books and we���ve only reached the swayamvar of Sita and Rama using the brahma-astra to wipe out the Rakshasa hoard outside Mithila. Rather slow progress if you ask me. But, remember, the Ramayana was composed, spoken and later written in an era without Internet and Television. They didn���t even have day jobs to worry about. Only survival. They had a lot of time on their hands without these distractions and long nights without electricity. The dark nights under the twinkling stars would be a great stage to recite the Ramayana and hear it being told by grandmothers of various houses in various hamlets and towns across India.

My only misgiving about the series is that the library that I borrowed the book from does not have the third and the next book in this series. I would not like to skip ahead and am looking forward to procuring and reading the third book in the series at the earliest.

The bestial demon hordes roar towards Ayodhya having swept all before them. Rama cannot return home to defend his family. He must journey to Mithila—a city lying directly in the path of destruction—to join a small band of heroes planning a valiant stand against the armies of darkness. Can Rama unearth a hidden dev-astra to help in his battle against his nemesis, the demon lord Ravana?

Of course, we all know that Rama will be able to defend the city of Mithila. That is the beauty of BankeSynopsis:

The bestial demon hordes roar towards Ayodhya having swept all before them. Rama cannot return home to defend his family. He must journey to Mithila—a city lying directly in the path of destruction—to join a small band of heroes planning a valiant stand against the armies of darkness. Can Rama unearth a hidden dev-astra to help in his battle against his nemesis, the demon lord Ravana?

Of course, we all know that Rama will be able to defend the city of Mithila. That is the beauty of Banker’s writing, despite knowing (almost) what happens in Ramayana, the reader’s interest in the story doesn’t waver even for a moment. The author’s has used his own imagination in sketching the characters and in describing the events that place during the course of the novel. The story builds on where it was left in ‘The Prince of Ayodhya’, so if you want to read this book, I would suggest you to read it as per the series.

For me that star character of this book was Sita apart of course, apart from Rama and Lakshmana. She is introduced not as a delicate princess but, as a warrior princess who is well versed in the art of archery and swords play. The demon lord Ravana is depicted as pure devil whose only aim it to conquer Ayodhya. There is Manthara who to please Ravana plots one evil plan after another to poison the sisterly relationship between Queen Kausalya and Queen Sumitra. She even schemes to get rid of Rama. There is also the story of Ahalya and how Rama releases her from the curse of husband’s curse. The story seems to pace slowly as by the end of the novel we only reach till the swayamvar of Sita. But, the novel is filled with numerous sub plots and stories that keep the novel interesting and enlightening. All the sub plots culminate toward the bigger picture and a momentous climax.

Ashok K. Banker takes you on an amazing fascinating journey, from Ayodhya to Mithila. It is an enriching experience. You will feel drawn towards the world of Ramayana as you turn pages of this book, that is the magic of Banker’s writing. I am very looking forward to reading rest of the series....more

Cons- long, dragging passages tangential to the narrative of each chapter. Whole conversations, whole chapters could have been culled without losing effect. - cheap, soap-opera tactic of cutting from one cliff-hanger scene to a completely unrelated part of the story. I suppose this keeps you in the grip of wanting to know what happens next, still, you feel cheated into it rather than some honest desire to know because the actual writing is compelling. - Japan is Nippon, but Greece is not HelleneCons- long, dragging passages tangential to the narrative of each chapter. Whole conversations, whole chapters could have been culled without losing effect. - cheap, soap-opera tactic of cutting from one cliff-hanger scene to a completely unrelated part of the story. I suppose this keeps you in the grip of wanting to know what happens next, still, you feel cheated into it rather than some honest desire to know because the actual writing is compelling. - Japan is Nippon, but Greece is not Hellene, and Egypt is not Kemet is Msr, and Norsemen are the same. - characters vacillate between being intense, complex and sheer buffoonery. Humans have various aspects to their characters, but these switches are sudden and seem totally out of character. Lakshmanan is sensitive and layered, then suddenly he’s a jerk, turning into some kind of frat boy. Rama introverted then supercool. Ravana all powerful and composed in a courtly kind of way, then a raging melodramatic lunatic who’s unhinged. - I have no problems with Ravana attending the swayamvara; but the whole scene falls apart in lunacy. Everyone but feeble Janaka seems to simply forget dharma. Ravana could've easily kidnapped Sita through sorcery, but he stands there debating. - Ravana knows of his previous birth and still behaves so atrociously- Vishwamitra, who knew of the impending attack of Mithila by the Asuras, allowed stupid Janaks to prattle on about the swayamvara, rather than alerting him and making war preparations. Then after allowing everyone to rant and rave and exhaust their emotional banks, he says they can use the Brahmastra.

Basically, too much implausibility for the story-telling to be convincing.

Still mesmerized by Banker's magic. Beside his ability to infuse new life in an epic through his ability to create a 3-D environment and bringing to the fore the characters' emotions, he brings up new sides of the old story and recreates superbly the parts of the epic which we might not have read as children. For instance I can point out his description of events at Ayodhya when Ram and Lakshman were away with sage Vishwamitra as well as that of the battle with Ravan's army before Mithila. It isStill mesmerized by Banker's magic. Beside his ability to infuse new life in an epic through his ability to create a 3-D environment and bringing to the fore the characters' emotions, he brings up new sides of the old story and recreates superbly the parts of the epic which we might not have read as children. For instance I can point out his description of events at Ayodhya when Ram and Lakshman were away with sage Vishwamitra as well as that of the battle with Ravan's army before Mithila. It is like hearing a medieval European tale from a renaissance point of view. However perhaps the retelling is so beautiful, the few lapses are so glaring. Aryabhatta was a Gupta age mathematician, not a Vedic age scholar. Was such a overt mistake necessary? Moreover what is this 'Banglar' stupidity? Bengal have been called 'Banga' from ancient times. If you can use ancient names like 'Ayodhya', 'Mithila', 'Kaikeya' without changing them, why not use the ancient name for Bengal? And for God's sake, 'Sengupta' is a Bengali title, not a young girl's name!...more

interesting...looked at the whole sita swayambar in a totally different perspective...made me think twice about blindly accepting the stories told to us..a must read if you want to think beyond the usual..was absolutely impressed with the way ravana has been portrayed..each character has been developed keeping in mind their actual role yet has been shown in an totally new form, with more human-like qualities...yes but the narrative is darker than expected and a little hard to accept..but on theinteresting...looked at the whole sita swayambar in a totally different perspective...made me think twice about blindly accepting the stories told to us..a must read if you want to think beyond the usual..was absolutely impressed with the way ravana has been portrayed..each character has been developed keeping in mind their actual role yet has been shown in an totally new form, with more human-like qualities...yes but the narrative is darker than expected and a little hard to accept..but on the whole - awesome! ...more

After slow & somewhat boring pace of the first book, had decided to drop reading the whole series. Even then, picked up the second book & I'm glad that I did so. Totally a page turner with greater emphasis given to build-up of the incidents. Book is totally engrossing & a departure from the run of the mill interpretation of Ramayana.

Ashok K. Banker takes you on an amazing fascinating journey, from Ayodhya to Mithila. It is an enriching experience. You will feel drawn towards the world of Ramayana as you turn pages of this book, that is the magic of Banker’s writing. I am very looking forward to reading rest of the series.

Did not enjoy the book too much. The style of narration is moderately good. The characters of the protagonists have been well developed, but the associated characters and the antagonists are lacking. Also the story is missing that spark which is usually there in the mythology.

Fast-paced, exciting, at times long on explanation, but really quite good. Like a modern sci-fi/fantasy novel. But better. Have a few problems with some of the apparent messages, but it's still pretty good.

Ashok is an internationally acclaimed author of mixed-race and mixed-cultural parentage based in Mumbai, India. His Epic India Library is a lifetime writing plan that aims to retell ALL the major myths, legends and itihasa of the Indian sub-continent in an interlinked cycle of over 70 volumes. This includes the Ramayana Series, Krishna Coriolis, the Mahabharata Series, the Ashok is an internationally acclaimed author of mixed-race and mixed-cultural parentage based in Mumbai, India. His Epic India Library is a lifetime writing plan that aims to retell ALL the major myths, legends and itihasa of the Indian sub-continent in an interlinked cycle of over 70 volumes. This includes the Ramayana Series, Krishna Coriolis, the Mahabharata Series, the contemporary thriller Blood Red Sari and other works. His books have sold over 1.4 million copies in 12 languages and 57 countries worldwide....more